The Bending Alchemist
by Ayame-san112
Summary: There's something strange about Edward Elric's new partner, Raven.  A mysterious past, a little girl who speaks a bizarre language, hypnotically blue eyes. And something that seems oddly familiar about her. A great story with a wonderful surprise ending.
1. Prologue

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist story

Prologue

I'm just going to get this out of the way. I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist. Thank you, enjoy.

"I apologize for the bumpy ride, but here in the countryside automobiles are rare indeed," said an elderly man at the reins of a horse drawn wagon. The wagon rode across a long road surrounded by fields.

"That's all right. This has its own charm," responded a devilishly hansom man in a blue military suit sitting in the back of the wagon. He had black hair and eyes.

"So. What brings you to the Elric house Lt. Colonel Mustang?" questioned the elderly man.

"I've heard reports of two brothers with a gift for Alchemy so I came to meet them myself," answered Mustang.

"I see scouting for new state alchemists are you? But why send an officer all the way from east HQ?"

"Finding and recruiting talented alchemists is part of my job. To be honest, with all the losses we've taken in the civil war, we need all the new recruits we can get."

"I can't wait to see the look on those kids faces when they see such a high-ranking officer standing at their door."

"..."

"Did you say **kids**?"

"Yes, sir."

"It says right here… Resembool Village, Edward Elric, 31 years old…" Mustang shuffled through some papers.

"No, sir. He's 11 year's old and his brother is a year younger," responded the elderly man.

"What's the meaning of this, 2nd Lt. Hawkeye!?" questioned a confused Mustang, with his nose still deep in the papers.

"It would appear that either this document came though a time vortex, or some one made a **grave error**," answered a woman with short blond hair and brown eyes.

"..."

"Why don't you just meet them **before** you make your decision?" The wagon continued down the road and Mustang continued to look over his papers.

(OK, I'm down copying the manga. The rest is mine. Well, except for most of the characters, but it is a fanfic.)

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Soon the wagon passed a capped stranger walking the same way as the wagon was going. The stranger's face was covered by long, messy, black hair. Not much else could be seen of this person.

"_I wonder what a ,_" Mustang thought to himself, "_Not that it really matters._" He had given up looking though the papers.

As the wagon started to ease up a hill the woman appeared to be looking up. When they reached the top of the hill Mustang's eyes meet the women's. Time seemed to slow as a cold chill ran down his spine.

The women's eyes were a shocking deep blue. They were as blue as the sky on a cloudless day like today, maybe even more so, but they didn't contain the warmth the sun offered.

But the blueness wasn't the only thing that scared Mustang. With every second that passed it felt like the women was diving deeper and deeper into his mind.

Finally the wagon pulled over the hill and their eye contact broke. Warmth rushed back to Mustang's body and he realized he had been holding his breath. He inhales and remembers something.

He stands. Hands shoot for his pocket. He jumps out of the wagon and dashes for the top of the hill. Behind him, he can hear Hawkeye cocking her gun.

All he can do is stand there, frozen. The woman is gone.

"Is something wrong Sir," questioned Hawkeye.

"No, just thought I saw something," answered Mustang putting his gloves back into his pocket. "_Where could she of gone? This road is surrounded by fields, she couldn't hide,_" he argued in his head, "_Or maybe I just imagined her._"

"Sir, we need to go."

"Yes, I'm coming," Mustang glances back at the spot he had seen the woman one last time before climbing into the wagon.

"Sorry Lt. Colonel Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist, but I can't let the military find me just, quite, yet," said a woman with long, messy, black hair and eyes bluer than the sky. She watched the wagon make its way to a small little town from her perch, thirty feet in the air.

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3 years later

"Big Brother, does it even say if our new accomplice is a man or a woman?" asked a suit of armor.

"No. The only thing it says is 'come to my office immediately to meet your new partner' nothing more nothing less," answered an annoyed short boy with blond hair and amber eyes. "If there's one thing that Mustang's good at its not telling us anything," he said crushing a piece of paper.

"Well I can't wait to meet him or her," stated the suit.

"Let's just get this over with."


	2. Chapter 1

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story - Chapter 1 the New Recruit

"Back in another one of these stuffy offices," a girl mutters under her breath.

"Did you say something doll face," asks a man with blond hair. She almost chokes on the smoke from his cigarette, but pushes the cough back down her throat.

"No. Nothing," she answers replacing a strand of her long black hair behind her ear. She doesn't bother to look up from the file she is going through.

A few moments pass and she knows this is not the conversation the man is looking for. The entire time the only thing that is heard between the two is the rustling of papers. After getting tired of the silence, the man grabs the chair next to the girl and sits in it backwards.

"I was thinking that maybe, since you're new in town, that you might want someone to show you around and I just happen to..." he started.

"Did I say I was new in town?" he was apparently starting to bother her.

"I was just trying..."

"I am not interested in a date, Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc," she glares at him over her sunglasses. She wants to get back to the file she was going though, no matter how stupid and meaningless she thinks it is. He was now leaning the chair back precariously.

His blond bangs, brown roots, and blue eyes were starting to get on her nerves. Did he think that just because he's some what good looking that every woman would want to date him and that cigarette; did he think that was attractive? He was wearing one of the blue military suits that annoyed her even more. If there was one thing she couldn't stand about the military, it was those ridiculous suits. Everyone was wearing them, even her.

Havoc looks her strait in the eyes. At that instant he falls backwards out of his chair, bewitched by her eyes, he's not able to look away.

"Havoc, leave her alone, before you end up in the hospital," a females voice rings across the room, followed by an uproar of laughter.

Havoc snaps out of his trace and stands up. He goes over to pick up the chair and find a way to get out of his most resent dump.

"I was just trying to... help our new recruit fit in better."

"Just get back to work."

Havoc walks off, slightly red, to join two other men. The man with reddish hair slaps him on the back and laughs whole heatedly; he is rather on the fat side. The other man has black hair and eyes and is wearing glasses; he seems shyer and tries to defend Havoc as the other man laughs. They are both wearing military suits, big surprise. A small black and white dog lay in the corner, watching them.

The girl couldn't hear what they were saying, but she caught the words dumped and fast.

"Thank you Hawkeye," said the black haired girl to the women.

"It was nothing," Hawkeye responds, going back to cleaning her gun.

She pushes her sunglasses back up her nose, and returns to the file, smiling to herself.

Just as she gets settled, a man with white bangs and black roots enters the room through the office door.

"Miss Tsuru, Mustang requests your presence in his private office immediately," she looks up from the file, again.

_"What does he want now,"_ she thinks to herself.

Sorry this one was so short, but I promise the next one will be longer, and you get to meet Ed and Al.


	3. Chapter 2

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story – Chapter 2 A new Alliance

_"What does he want now,"_ a girl with black hair think to herself as she walks down a hall behind a tall white haired man. It was her first day working for Mustang. "Besides everything had been sorted out… hadn't it?"

The man stopped and knocked on a door. "Enter," comes a male's voice through the door.

The man opened the door and said, "In here Miss Tsuru."

"Thank you, Warrant Officer Vato Falman," she enters the room, leaving a baffled Falman. The door softly closes behind her.

"Take a seat Raven Kami-Tsuru," Mustang says from behind a wooden desk, in a very small office. She sits in one of the chairs opposite of him. "I hear you have been scaring some of my men."

"It is not my fault, the military men are supposed to be ready for anything, or has it been slipping since I was last here or is it just your men? Besides, if that is all you called me here for than I am leaving." Raven starts standing up.

"True, true, and no that's not why I called you here. Our "humble" Fuhrer President King Bradley has assigned you your second name," he hands her a large manila envelope, and places a small square box on the desk.

Raven takes the envelope and read the first page, ignoring the rest.

"The Bending Alchemist. hmm. Well, I guess it some what fits," she drops the envelope on Mustang's desk and opens the box. In side is a silver pocket watch with the military's symbol carved on the top.

Suddenly, there is a knock on the door. Raven pushes her sunglasses completely back up her nose so that they completely cover her eyes.

"Enter," Mustang somewhat sighs.

Falman's head appears though the door, "Sir, Edward Elric is here to see you."

"Send him in; Raven could you please wait in the hall until I call for you?" Mustang said a gleam returning to his eyes. Raven almost feels sorry for the poor sole about to enter the room. But that name, Elric, she had heard it before, but where?

As she walks out a boy with blond hair and gold eyes walks past you. She was shocked, he looked about the same age as she does, but he's a lot shorter. How could someone his age be in the military? As she passes him she notices that his right arm is shorter than his left and the sound of his footsteps are different. The only thing that could cause this was auto-mail.

Raven walks out into the hall pondering her new discovery and sits on a bench next to a suit of armor. She leans against the wall behind the bench. She can't hear what they are talking about but she can tell that the conversation is going down hill and fast. People are not suppose to hear anything through the walls of these offices but as the voices from inside rise the more clear the conversation gets clearer for the eavesdropper.

"Hello, my name is Alphonse, what is yours?" an unfamiliar voice echoes down the hall, suspiring the girl.

She looks around to see were the voice came from, but other than her and Falman the hallway is empty. Except for the suit, but it couldn't be talking. She inconspicuously brushes her arm ageist the armor and its freezing cold. If someone was in the armor it would be a lest slightly warm.

She looks up at the armor and is shocked. When she had walked out of Mustang's office the armor had been looking at the door, now the head was looking right at her.

She decides to try and answer the question, "Um… My name is Raven, Raven Tsuru."

"Hello Raven, it is a pleasure to meet you." The armor raises a hand and she hesitantly takes it.

"The pleasure is all…mine?" she says.

The door to Mustang's office opens and the blond boy steps out. "He wants to see a Raven." the boy states as annoyed question. Raven releases the "Alphonse's" hand, stand and enters the room. The boy closes the door and fallows her to the two chairs in front of Mustang's desk. She sits in one of the chairs and the boy sits in the other.

"Raven, this Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist; and Edward this is Raven Kami-Tsuru, now the Bending Alchemist," Mustang introduced the two of them.

Raven holds out her right hand and Edward mindlessly takes it. Her earlier suspicions are confirmed by the weight of his hand.

"I thought so," she whispers to her self, getting an old glance from Edward.

"All formalities aside," Mustang started, "From now on the two of you are expected to work together!"

"**WHAT!!!**" screamed Edward.

All Raven could do is stare at Mustang.


	4. Chapter 3

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story - Chapter 3 A Small Friend

"Why the hell do we need a partner? We're doing just fine by ourselves," Edward complains.

"Yes, fine like in Lenor (The place that rose comes from.)." This seems to have an effect on Edward and he sits back down with a sour look on his face. "The two of you have a… similar understanding of alchemy, you should be able to get along well enough..." Mustang started lecturing you two.

"That is impossible," Raven whisper under her breath.

"...and Raven my just be able to get some resources that you, are not able to get to, Ed," Mustang finishes.

"Fine," Edward says giving up the battle. Raven could tell that something Mustang had said sparked Edward's interests.

There is yet another nock on the door. "What is it now?" Mustang sighs as he rubbed his forehead. _"I've got enough trouble with these two."_

Flaman enters the room, "Sir, Miss Stuehrk is here to see Miss Tsuru."

"Just send her in."

The door opened and a seven year old girl with strawberry-blond hair and green eyes is standing framed in the doorframe. She is wearing a pastel yellow dress.

The girl runs up to Raven and sits in her lap. She subconsciously storks the girl's hair.

"Guten Morgen, Mr. Mustang," the little girl says.

"Guten Morgen Ren," Mustang responded. "Now where was I… Oh yes, the two are not to go anywhere without each other. That's means if one of you leaces the city the other has to fallow, if one gets hurt the other has to wait for that person to get better before they move on. You are partners, act like you want to be. Got it Ed."

"Ya, whatever," is Edward response.

The three of them start walking out of Mustangs office. Edward is muttering under his breath on an annoyed tone.

"Oh. Raven, will you wait a moment?" Mustang inquires.

"Yes Sir," Raven turns back around to see what other surprises Mustang has for her today.

"I pulled some strings and got you back your house, exactly as it was," Mustang says with abig grin in his face.

"…Thank you, sir."

"There's a car waiting out front for you, you can drive can't you."

"Yes, Sir, I can drive. There would not have been much of a point if I didn't know how to use one," she says with a slight chuckle.

She turns around and sees Ren staring at her, starry eyed. "We get to your house."

"Yes, we are."

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"What kind of information are you looking for Edward," Raven asks as she drives the car though the city.

"You can just call me Ed, and we'll talk about that later," he responds.

"I prefer to use full names," she responds as she turns the car onto an old road leading out of the town and into a dense forest.

"Where exactly is your house, Raven," asked Alphonse.

"Just down another road, Alphonse," you answer.

The car turns onto a white pebbled road. Grass grows through the pebbles and the bushes are covering the edges of the road. The road twists and turns through the forest.

Raven looks out the window, remembering the first time she rode down this stone path, but the way of transportation was a little different then.

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A little girl bounces up and down in her seat as she looks out the window of the hoarse drawn carriage. Her green eyes were starry, showing her excitement.

"Father, are we there yet," she asked.

"We are almost there, Raven," answered a man from the other side of the carriage.

"Darling, please sit down before you get hurt," instructs a woman sitting next to the man.

"Yes mother," the girl runs over and sits in her mother's lap.

"She is just excited, is that not right?" the man ruffles the young Raven's black hair.

"Yes, I can not wait to see our new house."

"Adrian, are you positive that it is all right to move so very far away from the city," the woman asks.

"We will be fine. I made sure that they built stables so we can keep the horses and carriage," Adrian responds.

"I you say so, Dear."

"Father, Mother, I can see it, I can see it, it is so pretty."

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"Big Sister, Big Sister, I can see it, I can see it, It's so big," Ren announces to the car, bring Raven back to the present.

Ed looks out the window as the car comes to a stop. "That's your house!"

The car had stopped in front of a very old, very big mansion.

"Umm hum," is all she says as if it is nothing big. She steps out of the car. Under her breath she mutters with a sarcastic tone, "Welcome home."


	5. Chapter 4

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story - Chapter 4 Knowledge to Come

"How can this place be so stuffy," Raven says to herself as she opens yet another window. The four of you have been running around her house opening all the windows and doors. Fifteen minutes have already passed and there are still a quite a few left.

She walks into an adjoined room. This small room's walls are covered in bookshelves. The shelves were packed with nothing but thick, hardbound books. This might seem impressive, if she hadn't just been standing in her very large personal library.

The only space of visible wall held a small desk, and yet another window.

She sighs as she goes to open the window. This room brought back many unpleasant memories, but what didn't now a days.

She ends up having to stand on the desk to open the reluctant window.

When she goes to get off the desk, she trips and falls straight on her butt, making quite a loud thud.

As she gets up Ed runs in with a worried look, and Raven knows why. Ren had already fallen three times in her attempts to open windows and was now producing a rather large bruise on her leg.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I just fell."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes Ed, I am sure. We should get back to the others, they are probably done by now."

"OK. Then we can talk about all this information you supposedly have."

They start to walk towards the door that connects to the hall; the one Ed came though, when Raven notices a piece of paper on the floor. She picks it up and finds that it's a letter.

'To Raven, my little Hummingbird.'

She opens the letter already knowing who wrote it. Elegantly written in cursive is:

'I have been so busy at the office lately, that I have not been able to come home and see you and your mother. I miss you so much. I should not be to much longer, though. I am close to finding what I have been looking for. One would think that it would be enough with the number of books at home, but it seems that the Central Library has found several that I have not. I will bring these books home for you to read as soon as I am able. I will see you soon.'

'Adrian Tsuru'

Tears started to swell up in her eyes, but she pushes them back. She remembers when she received this letter. It was on that day. The day she died.

Raven crumples the letter up in her hand. "Ed..." she chokes on her words from the tears. She takes a deep breath and her voice returns. "Ed," she calls for him.

He comes back into the room, "What is it?"

"Could you promise me something?"

"What?"

"Could you promise me that you will never enter this room again?"

"Sure, I guess."

"Thank you, let us go," she lead the way back to the entry hall.

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Raven is sitting in a large comfortable chair in a cozy, but dusty sitting room. She has a hand over you eyes. Ed had just explained exactly what they are looking. She can't comprehend that two people so young could be put all their faith in such a myth, and at that the Philosopher's Stone. It's not that she didn't believe that the stone was possible. She was almost positive it was. But these two boys… Did they really know what they where getting themselves into.

"So that explains it," she sighs.

"Explains what?" asks Al.

"Why your brother joined the military at such a young age, Alphonse." She said in an annoyed tone, what has Mustang gotten her into? "Edward, I do not know what you did, but you did something bad, really bad, and you paid the price with your brother's body. But that price was too high for you and now you are trying to redeem yourself and get your brother's body back."

"HOW DID YOU FIND OUT!!!" Edward yells across the room, interrupting Raven's speech. "It was that Mustang wasn't it?"

She takes her had away from her eyes. "No, it was not Mustang, I figured out by myself. Alphonse's metal is colder than ice when touched, and Ed one of your arms is longer than the other. You should really get that fixed."

"That's very, perspective of you?" commented Ed in a tone that sounded both annoyed and shocked.

"Well it was necessary if I wanted to survive. But I must say that redemption is not up trained easily."

"Survive against what?"

"Nothing. So you are looking for information about the Philosopher's Stone. I am not really sure if I can trust you, but I see if Mustang trusts you to know about it, fallow me," she stands up and walks out the door.

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"Wow!" Edward had just fallowed Raven into a library that could rival Central's, except this was suppose to be privet. It was her had father's gem. The house was even built to accommodate it. The walls are decorated by nothing but wooden shelves, bursting with book. In the center of the room were six rows of shelves that contained the same as the ones on the walls.

It had taken her father all of his life, a lot of money, and quite a few dirty, not so little, tricks to get all of these books. Of course his most precious books are kept in that little office of his; those were the ones that she hated the most.

"The books are categorized by subject, then author, then title; they are a little old but they should give you a lest a little information. I think 'P' is over this way." Raven walks past three of the rows in the middle of the room and enter the fourth. "Here we are." She walks up to two shelves that looked like they could explode from all of the books on them.

She turns around to find that she is alone. She looks back at the door to see Ed staring into nothingness with drool coming out of his mouth, while Al tries to bring him back to the present.

"I think I can get him Al," she sighs and walks towards them. You stand next to Ed and learn in close to his face and than you...

She learns in close to his face and than whispers in a calm voice. "If you drool on the books you will not be able to read them, now will you S-H-R-I-M-P."

Suddenly Ed completely changes. He starts shouting, "Don't call me a Runt, A Dwarf, A 'Little Person'." As he yells he tries to punch at Raven. She dodges his fists with ease; he then kicks at her. But she simply jumps over his leg and gets behind him. After she is behind him she grabs his left arm, and pins it against his back, all in one clean and elegant move.

"Uh... but... how did you..." Ed blabbered, before you pushed him to the ground.

"Now, I did not call you those names, did I? You really should try and control that temper of yours, or else you enemies could use it against you." She starts to walk back to the 'P' shelves. "As I was saying, if there is any information on that stone it would be in here," she stops at the shelves again.

Before she can say another word, Ed is searching through his first book. "I guess he is over the initial shock," Raven snicker to herself.

"Thank you," she hears behind her.

She turns around to see Al.

"It is not a problem; these books have just sitting here for ages. It is about time that someone had a use for them."

"No, it really means a lot to use."

She smiles at his comment. Than she puts a stern look on her face and her hands on her hips. "Ok, I want those books back on the shelves exactly were they are, and I have beds, so I expect you to sleep in them and not here. Do you hear me EDWARD?" To any on looker the seen would have been mistaken for a mother instructing her children.

"Ok, whatever," Ed mumbles as he looks through the book.

Raven gives a small smile and starts walking off, "Ok, you two have fun." She enters the hallway, closing the door behind her. The small smile still plastered on her face. She didn't know what it was, but those two made her feel like anything was possible.

She decides to go and find Ren, who had been playing outside while the three of you talked.


	6. Chapter 5

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story - Chapter 5 A Musical Memory and Two Dancing Birds

Raven was about to go outside to look for Ren, when she herd a noise from behind a pair of large doors.

She opens one of the two large oak doors. A stunning sight is to be seen behind these doors. The floors are made of white marble. The walls are painted white as snow. The windows are large and span over the two story walls. Columns and planters that hold beautiful flower arrangements are made of a marble, white like the floor.

The only thing in the room that is not white is a grand piano on the other side of the room. Its wood has been painted an elegant dark black, making it the focal point in the room. On the piano is a masterpiece so complicated that most didn't dare to attempt it. On the bench sat a young woman, ready to play.

She starts. It is flawless. The notes flow smoothly. Her hands move across the keys with ease. She never even has to open her eyes.

Men and women start to glide across the dance floor as others stand at the edge, just listening to the magnificent sounds.

The pianist comes to the end and takes her bow, as an uproar of applause is herd from the crowd. As she stands her face becomes visible, and Raven is sickened by what she sees. The girl is her, on her 16th birthday. She wants to yell, scream, tell the girl up there to get out of here, to run far away. But she says nothing, she knows there is no stopping what will happen to the girl in front of the piano. There is no stopping it because it has already happened, and there is no changing the past.

Then a man comes up hands the other Raven a bouquet of roses. The man grins and hugs her.

The applause got softens, the people fade, and Raven is left alone with tears in her eyes.

The great ballroom looks different then it had before. Now, the paint on the walls is chipped, the flowers had withered long ago, one of the planter has fallen over and is now in pieces, and some of the floor tiles have come loose. The piano has been left to wait, collecting dust, and the only one dancing on the floor is a small girl in a pale yellow dress, with a ring of flowers around her

head.

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As soon as she notices Raven standing in the open door, Ren comes running up to Raven. She notices her crying and asks, "What's wrong Big Sister? I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to be in here. I can go back out side if you want."

"That is all right Ren. You can stay in here if you wish, there is nothing wrong with that," Raven tells the young girl as she puts on the smile that she has come accustom to wearing when she wants to hind her true feelings. The little girl is easily fooled and soon tries to get Raven to dance with her. At first she declines, not in much of a mood for the joyful activity, but after a lot of nagging, she is out on that hated dance floor showing Ren how to waltz.

Eventually the small girl gets tired of the repetitive dance, so Raven picks her up and moves around the room in a fluid motion with the girl in her arms, humming a verse of a song she learned long ago. Ren laughs as she moves across the dance floor.

The two of them dance and laugh for a quite a while. Raven starts to show Ren another ballroom dance when a very odd noise reaches her ears and makes her lose her footing. She falls right on her butt for the second time that day.

As she sits there, shocked that she fell, an unfamiliar laugh reaches her ears. She looks up to see Ed cracking up. When she sees this a slight shade of pink creeps onto her cheeks. _"What is wrong with me?"_ she thinks. _"Not only do I fall two times today, both being for ridiculous reasons, both times he his right there. I have barely known him for a day and I am already making a fool of myself. There goes my good first impression, he must think I'm a complete klutz."_

She hears footsteps and look up to see Ed hovering over her.

"You O.K.?" he says, offering out his hand. She takes it and he pulls her up.

"Yes, thank you," she looks over at Ed and see he is staring back at her with a blank look on his face. That's when she notices that her sunglasses have fallen off.

She quickly picks them up off of the marble floor. As soon as she breaks eye contact, Ed returns to a normal, but slightly confused, state.

"So Edward, why are you not up in the library? You could not have found all the information you are looking for in that short of a time."

"Well, actually..."

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Earlier that day, after Raven had left the Elric brothers in the library…

"Brother, why do you think Raven and Ren out live here, so far away from town?" asked Al.

"I don't know. Maybe they just want to? Let's get to work Al."

After an hour of work a low growl echoes through the large library. The brothers ignore the noise and continue reading. A few minutes later the growl comes again, even louder. Al stops reading and look over at his brother. After Ed jots a few things down, Al goes back to work.

Shortly, a third growl erupts in the room, bouncing off of shelves. Ed slams his book shut, "Damn it, I'm hungry!"

"Do you want me to get you some food Big Brother?"

"That's O.K. Al, I'll get some myself; you can just keep reading."

Ed looks all over the house, but can't find Raven or Ren. He walks down the main staircase in the entryway. He decides to look for them outside but stops as he passes a pair of large oak doors.

"How could I miss this room?" Ed thinks to himself as he opens one of the doors. Inside he sees both girls dancing in a worn down ballroom.

He softly closes the heavy wooden door and leans against the wall, watching the two with a smile on his face. As Raven starts to show Ren a new move, Ed's stomach reminds him why he was there with a quick, but load, growl.

At that instant Raven falls, Ed can't help but laugh at the confused look on her face. He sees her look at the floor. _"Ahg, great, I made her cry,"_ he yells in his head.

He walks over to her and offers you his hand. "Are you alright?" he asks. She takes his hand and he pulls her up.

"Yes. Thank you," she answer. Ed looks up at her face. He doesn't see any tears, but notices that her cheeks are slightly pink. He is about to ask if she has a cold when he notices that her sunglasses fell off. He looks into the eyes she's been hiding, sky blue eyes that look as if they are made of crystal.

Ed could not move for her eyes have hypnotized him, like so many others before. A chill runs down his spine, but still he couldn't avert his gaze, only dive deeper into the never-ending azure.

Suddenly, Ed snaps out of his dream like state as Raven bends down to pick up her glasses off the floor and places them back on her face, yet again hiding her crystal eyes from the world, behind two pieces of tinted glass.

"So Edward, why are you not up in the library? You could not have found all the information you are looking for in that short of time?" you quickly ask.

"Well, actually... I was wondering, do you have any food?"


	7. Chapter 6

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story - Chapter 6 the "truth"

"We should pick up some groceries while we are here," Raven says to the group.

"Sure," Ed somehow manages to say with his mouth full of noodles.

"Ed, please swallow before you talk. It is disgusting," she responds and takes a sip of her tea.

Ed swallows and mumbles, "Whatever," before shoving more noodles in his mouth.

Raven had changed from her military uniform into a green summer dress and now the group of four; Raven, Ren, Ed, Al, are sitting at a table in a small restaurant near the edge of town.

Ed has a bowl of noodles that he somehow manages not to choke on, to Raven's amassment. Ren is eating a ham sandwich. Al is sitting there reading a book, waiting for everyone to for everyone to finish. And Raven is sipping on a cup of chamomile tea with a plate of fish on the table.

"It's a good thing that someone is finally teaching you some manners Ed," Comes a familiar voice from behind Raven. She turns around to see...

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, what brings you here?" asks Al.

"Oh, I was just passing by and thought that I would grab a bite to eat." Responds a man with black hair and green eyes (I think) who is wearing glasses and a military suit.

"You're just skipping work aren't you," Ed sarcastically states.

"Ah, actually I'm on a lunch brake. It's actually a relief to be out of the office too, after those things that were seen in the south, everyone has got work pilled up to their neck," he said as he pulled up a chair.

"What "things"?" asks Ed.

"Oh, nothing, nothing, ah ha ha ha. So, what's good to eat here?"

"The ham sandwiches are good," chimes in Ren with a smile on her face.

"Thank you Ren, That sounds really good. I think I'll get one," he smiles at her. A waitress comes and takes his order.

"So, Raven, congratulation on passing the exam, not that I expected anything else from you," complemented Hughes.

"It was very easy actually; I think they made it easier since last time. I finished the entire packet with no marks," she responds.

Ed started to chock on his noodles; "You did WHAT?"

"You can't really put her down with normal alchemists though. Thank you," commented Hughes as he got his sandwich from the waitress.

Raven smiles and sip her tea as Ed goes on about not being a normal alchemist, _"I guess he is right, not that it really matters,"_ she thinks.

"Anyway, Raven, how is it serving Mustang?" asked Hughes.

She thinks for a minute. "It takes some getting use to, but I commend his motives."

"I bet it is odd for you." Hughes says as he takes a bit of his sandwich, and swallows. Then suddenly a mischievous gin spreads across his face. "Raven, you haven't seen my daughter have you. How about I show you some pictures?" He was already reaching into his coat pocket.

"NO, not those..." Ed almost yells, but Raven cuts him off.

"I would love to see some pictures of your family," she says with a slight smile on her face. Ed looks at her like she's crazy.

They had all finished eating by the time Hughes ran out of photos, except for Ed, who is downing his fourth bowl of noodles.

"I should get back to work." Hughes gets up and leaves, so now the group is left watching Ed down another bowl of noodles. "Where does he put it all?" Raven asks to herself. She waits a little while longer to see if he will finish anytime soon. "If you will excuse me, I need to go to the ladies room." Without waiting for an answer she gets up and walks off.

As soon as she's sure that no one is watching, she makes your way outside. She heads to the side of the cafe and sees a man in the shadows. "I thought you might be here," she say to the person.

"I guess you found me out," says Hughes as he steps into the light.

"You did a good job, only I saw the papers in your pocket."

"What can I say, I was taught by the best."

"Funny, funny," she says as she leans against the wall, "So, what exactly were those "things" in the south?"

"You know better than any one else. This is all we have on them." He hands her some folded sheets of paper.

She unfolds them and reads the title, 'Human Chimeras'. "Thank you, Hughes."

"It's nothing. It would get to you one-way or another." Hughes waves as he walks off.

She makes her way back to the table. "Are we ready to go?" she asks. Ed nods and swallows the last of his food. Raven pays for the meal and the four of them make their way to the market.

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"Exactly how fresh are these?" Raven asks the man behind a booth while holding up some leeks. Raven and Al are walking from booth to booth buying different types of food. Raven won't let Ed do any of the shopping after he almost bought a bushel of moldy onions.

After she pays for the leeks Raven is done with her part of the shopping list. She goes to over to where Ren is trying to get Ed to play with her. She places her basket on the ground and takes the ball that Ren had placed in Ed's lap. She throws the ball and Ren runs to get it.

"So," Ed starts to talk, "What did Hughes tell you?"

Raven is somewhat shocked, but quickly hides it; she didn't think that Ed had noticed any thing. "Not much really. He just asked me over to his house to see his daughter."

"How many people sneak out of dinner to be invited to someone's house? And I saw the papers that had Chimera written on them."

"I guess I did not give you all the credit that you deserve, Fullmetal." Ren brings the ball back and she throws it again. "I see you really are the protégée that Mustang says you are."

"I don't give a damn what Mustang says, I just want to see those papers."

"I am not going to give those to you so I suggest you stop trying to get them," she bluntly states. In her head she thinks, 'It looks like Hughes still has some way to go.'

Ren brings the ball back and Raven throws it again, but this time it lands under a unsteady loft that holds many heavy boxes and sacks. Ren runs under it and picks up the ball. As she does this, one of the supports gets hit and the entire thing starts to fall on top her.

Ed starts to make attempt to save Ren, but Raven beats him to it. Not moving she slaps her hands together and, using alchemy, she suspends the entire load right above Ren's head.

"Ren, kommt hier!" Raven yelled. The little girl picks herself off of the ground and runs over to Raven. As soon as Ren is out of harms way, Raven start to put the things back where they belong. By the end it looks almost as if nothing happened.

"That was close," Raven looks over at Ed and sees he is gawking.

"How... But... Hu..." is all he can say.

That's when Al comes up, "I'm done shopping."

"That is good. We should head home, it is going to get dark soon," Raven responds. She picks up her basket and Ren gets her ball, being very careful this time. "Edward, are you coming?"

"How did you do that?" he asks.

Raven walks towards the car and starts to explain, "I simply used alchemy to control the air, caching the objects as they fell. Then controlling it to carry the things back to where they initially were. That part is simple. Besides, I would not be called the Bending Alchemist if I could not manipulate the air like that. It becomes complex when you put in the fact that most people can only muster enough energy to make the initial bust that gets the atoms moving, while I can control the atoms so that they continuously move."

"Big sister can make metal flow like water," Ren chimed in.

"That is harder then air, though. Air is made up of gasses and the atoms in a gas take little energy to move. While steel is a solid and its atoms take much more energy to move," Raven blankly state.

"Tell them about your other special power," Ren says.

"Ren, I do not have "powers". I am simply a talented alchemist." Raven says and pats Ren on her head.

"How did you learn all this?" asks Al.

"Very many years of research. So many years that you would not believe me if I told you. Besides, the "truth doesn't hurt... right?"

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"Father? Father where are you?" Raven asked to the pure white surroundings from her position on the floor.

"I am right here my little hummingbird," a man's voice echoed in the vastness.

"Where are we father?" she asked as she stood up.

"We are close to the truth, dear. Finally, I will see what that has evaded me for so long. And you my little hummingbird, you made it all possible. Thank you, so much."

"What are you talking about father?"

"And I have brought you here to witness it with me. You, my darling, you get to see the ultimate true. Let us enter together." Suddenly a giant floating gate appears in the space. Raven's father took her hand and pushes open the gate. Raven watched as the gate slowly opened to reveal a black space filled with floating eyes. Black arms shoot out of the gate and pulled the two in. Raven tried to get away, but her father called out to her. "Don't struggle Raven, they are our guides to the ultimate truth."

She wanted to cry out to her father, to make him to stop all this, but one of the arms raped around her head and she wasn't able to speak. The arms pulled her into the complete blackness. The only reassurance she had was her father's hand still holding tightly to hers. But that reassurance disappeared when her father's hand disintegrated in her grasp. She frantically tried to reach for her father, but the harder she tied the smaller and smaller the hand got. She clenched her fists as she heard her father scream in agony.

The scream seemed to take forever to fade. When it finally did, things began to flow through Raven's head. She saw things that she had never seen before. She crammed her eyes shut, but the visions didn't stop. It felts like all the information in the world was being forced into her brain. Suddenly the onslaught of knowledge stopped and she opened her eyes. Before her was a town that she had never seen before. She barely got a second to look at it as the scenery went black and she was back in front of the gate… alone.

"Father, where did you go?" Raven asked in a timid voice.

"Your father is gone," a mysterious voice said.

She turned around to see a white figure in the shape of a man watching her. "What do you mean gone?" she asked shocked.

"So tell me how was it? What did you see?" asked the figure.

"What do you mean gone!" she yelled at the person, still confused.

"He paid the price and now he's gone. Poof. Vanished. You do believe in equivalent exchange, don't you?" the figure leaned closer to her with every word.

"Vanished?"

"See, you get it now" it said pulling away. "Oh, but it looks like it is time you return home," he said as the scenery started to fade. "Good bye, but not farewell, for we **will** meat again." The figure faded and Raven found herself on the floor of an old, stone room; her back burned as if on fire.

"...ven. Raven. Hello, is anyone home? You were the one who was just rushing home." Ed said waving his hand in Raven's face. Raven snaps back to reality.

"Sorry. I was... remembering things. Let us go." She says as she moves to the car.


	8. Chapter 7

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story - Chapter 7 An old Friend

She is running thorough a forest. She is looking for someone, anyone. Rain hits her face as she runs, mixing with her tears. There is a searing pain in her back; as if someone had dragged two long, hot knifes down, through it.

She is yelling, "Someone, help, anyone! If anyone is there please help! I have been hurt!" She is losing hope. She lost the trail a long time ago.

She slows to a walk and wraps her arms around her body, trying to catch the little warmth she is giving off though her soaked clothes.

"Someone… please," she whispers.

"Hello," Chirps an unfamiliar voice. She turns around and sees a small sparrow standing on a rock, feathers ruffled from the rain. Seeing no one else she continues on her way.

The small bird flies past her and she can almost swear it says, "This way". 

She fallows the bird and comes to a lake. She walks up to the edge and sees something strange in the water. What she sees makes her freeze. She holds her breath and her body tenses up.

She lets her breath out and throws a stone at the reflection. She starts crying again, as the reflection returns. There on the surface of the water is… 

Raven jolts up from her bed in a cold sweat. She wipes her head; "I have not had to relive that for a while now." 

She gets out of her four poster bed and looks around her room. She walks out onto her small balcony. She looks out at the sky. A full moon shines down on her. She breathes in the fresh mountain air. 

The wind blows against her and she shivers. The silk nightgown she is wearing doesn't give you much protection from the elements. Suddenly she hears a chirp behind her.  
"I have not seen you for a long time Gesang." She turns around to see a small sparrow sitting on the railing. 

"Chirp chirp chirp," is all it responds. 

"Sigh. Come inside then." She opens the door and the bird flies in. It lands in a small cage on her wood desk. She walks in after it and takes the robe hanging on a chair and puts it on. "Every one should be asleep by now," she says as she walks out of her bedroom door. 

Raven walks down the hallway, making her way to the library. She passes a door and hears someone moving around in their bed.

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Inside the room Ed rolls over in his bed trying to get to sleep. Giving up he gets out of bed and makes his way to the kitchen. 

He walks down the hall and a set of stairs. On the second story landing he thinks he hears something coming from the library, but ignores it and continues to the kitchen. 

He walks down the main staircase to the entryway. He goes down the hall and into the kitchen. Not knowing how to use the very old cooking appliances, and not daring to get on Raven's bad side by braking one of the on the first day at her house, he makes a sandwich. But not knowing where the meat is he grumpily settles for some bread and cheese. 

He sits down at a small table and starts eating his snack. As he eats, a strange noise echoes through the house. It sounds like stone sliding against itself. "What the hell was that?" asks a very shocked and confused Ed. 

He waits a while to see if the noise comes again. When it doesn't, he goes back to his bread. He finishes it and heads back upstairs. 

Half way up the main staircase the sound comes again. It seems to be coming from the ballroom. He walks over to the wooden doors and slowly starts to push one of them open. As he does a blue light emanates from the room. 

Ed throws the door open to see Raven standing over the once broken planter. She looks at Ed from across the room. "Oh, you are awake." 

"Ya. What are you doing?" asks Ed, befuddled. 

"I could not sleep and decided to fix this planter." 

"What was that noise?" 

"What noise?" 

"That loud grinding sound!" say a slightly annoyed Ed. 

"I don't know what you are talking about." Raven yawns and covers her mouth. "I am going return to bed. I should be able to sleep now. See you in the morning." She walks past him and heads upstairs. Ed looks around the room for a little while, but when he finds nothing he goes back to bed.


	9. Chapter 8

The Bending Alchemist – a Fullmetal Alchemist Story - Chapter 8

"Mmm… This is good big sister!" Ren mumbles through a mouth full of pancakes.

"It is much better than what they serve at the military cafeteria, is it not?" Raven responds.

"I smell food," Ed walks in to the kitchen with drool hanging out of his mouth.

"Here you go Edward," Raven says as she places a plate of pancakes down at an empty seat. Edward sits down and starts scarfing down the food. Raven sets a serving plate on the table with the rest of the pancakes on it. She goes back to the old stove and continues cooking as the Al tries to keep Ed from chocking.

"So why are we eating in here when there are those dinning rooms down the hall?" asks Ed as he grabs another pancake.

"The larger one is for formal use only, and I am not very fond of the dinning room for daily use. Besides, it is more… homey in here," Raven responds without turning around.

"You pretty much live in a castle and you're worried about homey?" Ed asks amused.

"Look, I never asked to move here. I was fine living in the city. I never wanted to be any part of this!" she ends just short of yelling. She had turned around in her outburst and was baring the metal spatula like a weapon. Realizing her rudeness she apologizes, bows, and turns back to her cooking.

"O…K… Sorry I said anything," Ed quietly goes back to his food.

"I never asked to be trapped in this hell hole," Raven whispers as a tear falls onto the frying pan and sizzles in the dead silence.

"Big sister isn't Alphonse going to eat?" asks Ren breaking the silence. Ed, and somehow Al, manage to start sweating profusely under the pressure of the simple question.

"No, Ren, Alphonse does not need to eat," Raven quickly replies before Ed makes a fool of himself, trying to make an elaborate excuse for a seven year old.

"Oh, OK," Ren simply replies.

"What are you cooking there? It doesn't smell like pancakes," Ed asks taking a break from his food when the new smell reaches him.

"Fish," she replies.

"Why not have some pancakes? We have enough."

"Big sister only eats fish and berries. It's because she's a…" Ren starts.

"Ren, nicht ein anderes Wort," Raven yells, her anger showing on her face.

"Traurig," Ren mutters as she sinks in her chair.

Ed and Al just watch the scene confused. Raven comes over to the table, still looking mad, giving Ren threatening looks for what she almost said. She sits down and starts eating her fish as Ed daringly grabs the last pancake. The four sit in silence.

"I have to go to the office today," Raven breaks the silence, "I will be taking the car. I may be back late. Some clouds rolled in overnight and might cause rain later today."

"OK,… Al and I are just going to be researching in the library," Ed unsurely responds.

"Can I come with you Big Sister?" asks Ren.

"No, you will stay with Edward and Alphonse."

"But Miss Hawkeye said she would show me how to her gun works today," Ren wines.

"I said **no** Ren."

"Yes, mam."

"Don't you think you're being a bit hard on her? All she wants to do is tag…"

"I said no and that is final!" Raven's voice is getting stern.

"You're just going to the office; I don't see the problem…

"I said no. I do not care if you agree with what I say or not. As long as Ren is in my custody she will listen to me. And as long as you are in my house you will not contradict me. We are partners now, and you **will **show me respect, even if you are a child." Raven was getting annoyed buy Ed's insolence, but this last statement was too much for Ed.

"Don't you dare call me a little kid who's so small he can't even see over a counter!" Ed bust, completely taking Raven's words out of text. He ran at her as his brother made an attempt to stop his brother. Ren hid behind the table, not wanting to get in the middle of the fight. Al was barley able to hold his brother back as Ed swung wildly at Raven, who didn't move to try to avoid his punches. "Don't call my a little kid who can't reach things on higher shelves, you little girl. You can't be much older than I am. And besides, you just got you're license yesterday; I've had mine for a year now."

"I am much older than I look Edward, and the length of the time an alchemist has his license does not change the skill of the alchemist. Raven turned to walk out of the room, but not before turning to Ren with a stern face. "Aufenthalt aus Mühe heraus," she warned and left a steaming Ed in her wake.

"That was uncalled for big brother," Al said as he released Ed.

"That little bitch!" Ed screamed.

"Big Brother!"

"I'm going to get her for that kid line," Ed said as he marched out of the kitchen and up to the library, leaving Al and Ren to do the dishes.

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Up in her room, Raven had a military outfit on. She put a lid on a small box before turning to her full length mirror. "The nerve of him. You have only got your license yesterday. I he only knew." She straightened her uniform before turning to the cage on her desk. "Come along Gesang. Shall we go?" The small bird flies out the open cage door and lands on Raven's shoulder. She walks out of her room and down the hall.

At the top of the stairs Raven stops. She sighs before turning around. Gesang looks at her questioningly. "Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp? Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp," the small bird sings.

"We are. There is just something I need to do first."

"Chirp chirp. Chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp, chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp chirp."

"Yes, yes. But I cannot leave something so powerful with someone so strong… and foolish." She walks back down the hall and past her door. She stops at a heavily engraved door not far from hers. She slowly pushes it open at enters the door.

Inside is an enormous king sized, four poster bed, magnificent dressers, and a luxurious vanity. This was truly the master suit.

Raven had only entered her parent's room a few times, but she knew exactly where the thing she is looking for is. She slowly approaches the vanity. On the vanity is a small wooden, handcrafted box. She taps her hands together, the key having disappeared with her father. The small golden lock easily brakes. She opens the box to see an elaborate golden necklace with a single crimson stone secured in the center.


End file.
